ISLAMABAD, Aug 13: The government does not want to impose a state of emergency right now, but has not ruled out the measure for the future, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said.

“At the moment we have no desire to impose any emergency, and for further action we have to see the situation and decide what response is needed,” Mr Aziz told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview late on Sunday.

President Gen. Pervez Musharraf last week considered imposing a state of emergency in the country to alleviate a worsening security situation, but backed away from doing so after widespread opposition and criticism the move may be motivated by the government’s political troubles.

Aziz said the ongoing political crisis and surge in militancy have stained the country’s image abroad, resulting in a slowdown of economic growth over the past few months.

“Whenever you have agitation and uncertainty, it affects your ability to deliver quality of results.—AP